DataBank Indicator

Individualized Education Programs

Children with special needs living in high-poverty neighborhoods are less likely to receive special services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP).

Importance

IEPs, mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 (IDEA, reauthorized in 2004),[1] are specific education programs for students with disabilities (in kindergarten or higher grades), created with input from teachers, parents, special education teachers, and, when appropriate, the students themselves. IEPs include information such as the student’s current academic performance, annual goals, services received, anticipated needs for transition services, and how progress will be measured. IEPs should be detailed, and designed to meet the unique needs of the child. Research has shown that the quality of IEP documentation is related to the quality and quantity of services received by students with disabilities.[2]

Early, accurately targeted interventions help each student learn to the best of his or her ability, improve the quality of their education, and avoid future problems, such as grade retention or academic failure. Families of minority cultural or ethnic backgrounds, and those with low-incomes, are less likely to access early intervention services, and are less likely to participate in the IEP process.[3] Thus, it is important to ensure that the IEP process is culturally and linguistically sensitive.[4] The 1997 legislation put an emphasis on parental involvement in the IEP process.[5]

An IEP can serve as an opportunity for the student to acquire knowledge about his or her own disability, and how he or she can contribute to decisions about their own program. The IDEA legislation requires that children and youth ages 14 and older be asked to participate in any meetings about their IEP.[6] Research shows that students who play a role in leading their IEP meetings know more about their own disabilities and rights, and may also gain in self-esteem.[7]

Trends

Between 2001 and 2012, the proportion of children in kindergarten through third grade receiving special services through an IEP increased, from 6 to 11 percent. (Figure 1)

Among all children with special needs,[i] 54 percent were receiving special services through an IEP in 2012, nearly twice as many as in 2003 (28 percent). (Appendix 2) Of those children receiving IEP services, more than half (59 percent) had some type of speech or language delay. About one-third (30 percent) were diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, and one in seven (15 percent) were diagnosed with autism.[8]

Differences by Gender

Boys are nearly twice as likely as girls are to receive special services through an IEP. In 2012, 14 percent of boys in kindergarten through third grade had an IEP, compared with 8 percent of girls in the same grades. This gap fell sharply between 2007 and 2012. (Figure 1) As recently as 2007, there was a substantial gap between boys and girls with special needs in their likelihood of receiving services through an IEP; however, in 2012 there was no significant difference by gender on this measure. (Appendix 2)

Differences by Receipt of Public Assistance

In 2012, children in households receiving Medicaid benefits in the last year were nearly twice as likely to have IEPs as children in households which did not receive Medicaid (16 and 9 percent, respectively). Similar, though smaller, contrasts are found between children in households receiving SNAP benefits (food stamps), and their counterparts not receiving such assistance. However, there were no significant differences in IEP rates between children in households receiving and not receiving WIC or TANF services and benefits. (Figure 2, Appendix 1)

However, among children with special needs, receipt of public assistance is not associated with a greater prevalence of IEPs. (Appendix 2)

In 2012, Asian children were less likely than white or black children to have an IEP (6 percent, compared with 11 and 13 percent, respectively). There were no other significant differences by race. (Appendix 1) Among children with special needs, there were no significant differences by race and ethnicity in their likelihood of receiving IEP services. (Appendix 2)

Differences by Neighborhood Poverty

Students in kindergarten through third-grade are much less likely to have an IEP if they live in a high- poverty neighborhood. In 2012, six percent of students living in a neighborhood with a child poverty rate of 20 percent or more received special services through an IEP, compared with at least ten percent of students who live in neighborhoods with lower poverty rates. (Figure 3) Patterns are similar among children with special needs.

Differences by Immigrant Status

In 2012, children with native-born parents were more likely than native-born children with one or immigrant parents (12 and 9 percent, respectively) to have an IEP. (Appendix 1)
However, among children with special needs there were no significant differences in receipt of IEP services by these categories. (Appendix 2)

State and Local Estimates

International Estimates

National Goals

According to the US Department of Education, every
child receiving special education services must have an Individualized
Education Program.

What Works to Make Progress on This Indicator

For children who have a learning disability, early diagnosis and subsequent development of an IEP are essential to their academic success. Students who have undiagnosed learning disabilities are less likely to receive the services they need and are entitled to, are more likely to be retained in school, and are at risk for becoming disengaged from school. Research has shown that the quality of IEP documentation is related to the quality and quantity of services received by students with disabilities.[10],[11]

Related Indicators

Definition

Data for this indicator include children in kindergarten through third grade, or the equivalent if they are home-schooled or in an ungraded program.

After 2003, children were counted as receiving IEP services if their parents reported they received special services for one or more disabilities, and then answered yes to the question: “Are any of these services provided through an Individualized Education Program or Plan (IEP)?”. In 2012, an additional screening question was added prior that asked whether the child was receiving any services for his or her condition.

Data from 2001 are based on the question: “Are any of these services provided through an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) or Individualized Education Program (IEP)?”

Data Source

Child Trends’ original analyses of data from the National Household Education Survey.

1Special needs include those children whose parents were
told the child had any of the following disabilities: a specific learning disability,
mental retardation, a speech or language delay, a serious emotional
disturbance, deafness or another hearing impairment, blindness or another
visual impairment, another health impairment lasting 6 months or more,
autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD or ADHD), or Pervasive Development
Disorder.2Hispanics may be any race.Source: Child Trends’ original analyses of National
Household Education Survey data.

Endnotes

[i] Children with special needs include those whose parents were told the child had any of the following disabilities: a specific learning disability, mental retardation, a speech or language delay, a serious emotional disturbance, deafness or another hearing impairment, blindness or another visual impairment, another health impairment lasting 6 months or more, orthopedic impairments, autism, attention deficit disorder (ADD or ADHD), or Pervasive Development Disorder. In 2012, parents were also asked about developmental delay and traumatic brain injury.

[1]U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special
Education and Rehabilitative Services. (2000). A guide to the Individualized
Education Program. Available at: http://www.ed.gov/parents/needs/speced/iepguide/index.html

[3]Zhang, C., and Bennett, T.
(2003).Facilitating the meaningful participation of culturally and
linguistically diverse families in the IFSP and IEP process.Focus on Autism &
Other Developmental Disabilities, 18(1).